Key takeaways

• Delcy Rodríguez has publicly called for engagement with the United States after Maduro’s capture.
• Maduro has appeared in a New York federal court and pleaded not guilty.
• Reports say China’s envoy Qiu Xiaoqi met Maduro in Caracas shortly before the U.S. operation.
• Trump says the U.S. will manage a transition, driving renewed debate over sovereignty and international law.

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Venezuela’s acting leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has said she wants to work with the United States after a U.S. operation captured President Nicolás Maduro and flew him to New York to face federal charges. Her message comes as Trump keeps up public pressure and countries around the world argue over whether the U.S. action was legal.

Rodríguez’s statement focused on “peace,” “mutual respect,” and international law. The key point is that she is trying to open a channel with Washington at a moment when Venezuela’s leadership is in turmoil.

Maduro appeared in federal court in New York on Jan 5 and pleaded not guilty. The case is expected to turn into a major legal fight, including challenges to how he was captured and whether the U.S. courts can prosecute him under these circumstances.

Trump has taken a hard public line. He has said the United States will oversee Venezuela during a “transition,” and his comments have also pointed to Venezuela’s oil sector as part of the high stakes of this crisis.

You also raised a separate point about a “new representative” arriving in Venezuela. What credible reporting does show is that China’s special representative for Latin American affairs, Qiu Xiaoqi, met Maduro in Caracas shortly before the U.S. operation. That visit is now being cited as part of the wider international context around the crisis.

What I did not find in credible reporting as of Jan 5 is confirmation that a newly appointed U.S. ambassador has arrived in Venezuela after the operation. If Washington makes an official diplomatic deployment or names a formal in-country mission, it would likely be reflected in major wire reporting or U.S. government statements, but it has not been confirmed in the sources available today.

For now, two tracks will shape what happens next: the U.S. court process in New York, and the political struggle inside Venezuela over who has real authority. Rodríguez’s outreach suggests Caracas is trying to avoid further escalation, but Trump’s warnings indicate Washington is still applying heavy pressure.